


Man of the Sea

by MischievousMeh



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU, M/M, Sirens, coughImadetheterriblespellcough, mentions of uther - Freeform, old fic, some guards die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 00:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2409200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MischievousMeh/pseuds/MischievousMeh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mythical Sirens have been rumored to have been spotted just a little ways from Camelot. So, of course, Prince Arthur has dragged his servant along for the hunting expedition. </p><p>(( Old fic. Sorry it's terrible. ))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Man of the Sea

Many had heard of the legends of the sirens, who lived in the seas with their beautiful songs. They captured the hearts of men - and women - and lured them in with their song. Then, the sirens drowned them within the depths, cackling with a wicked smile and eating the remains. Everyone knew of the stories. But why this had evaded Arthur Pendragon, Merlin had no clue.

  
    It had all started with a rumor spreading around Camelot of the merpeople, as sirens had been once called. It had been said that merpeople were living in a lake not too far from the castle, and that sorcerers were using them for poisoning of the nearby water supply. Although there had been a poison outbreak, it had been due to an uprising witch hunter who blamed the event on an innocent woman. As soon as Arthur had discovered this, the man was sentenced to death and the woman let free.

  
    But of course, the king had been concerned. Uther decided that his son would venture to find this lake along with his guards, to either prove the citizens incorrect or defeat the sorcerer responsible for bringing back the sirens. And of course, Arthur did as his father said. Merlin followed his prince along as always.

  
    Which led them here. Hooves stamped the ground as the white horse that Arthur rode upon grew uneasy. "C'mon, Merlin! Hurry it up!" The prince demanded. The hill was steep, and as the autumn wind swept across it, leaves flurried through the air. The scent of dirt that had dried long since the spring's rains filled the prince's nose. Crisp leaves crackled underneath hooves as they made their way to the lake. Trees stood high above them, leaves withering and fluttering to the ground.

  
    "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Merlin sighed, urging his horse to trot faster. The guards behind them looked bored with their dull faces and stone expressions. The blonde prince whipped the reigns against his horse's skin, speeding it to a gallop. An ache filled Merlin's heart as he looked upon his prince and future king. It slowed as he watched him command the animal with such pride.

  
    He admired Arthur in ways he could not express, lest he be executed for doing so. He longed for a day his master would accept such admiration. Until then, he would serve him with his secret magic and loyalty. It still pained him that his prince treated him like a mere servant, even if he was nothing more than one. Arthur seemed to not care over Merlin's life. He wouldn't miss him, but simply get another servant and advise them better than to make his mistakes. And they would serve him undoubtedly. Merlin would be a forgotten memory in the mind of a king one day.

  
    Merlin had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed when they had arrived at the hilltop. "Merlin!" The prince shouted. "Have you listened to a word I said?!" The servant shook his head. "Sorry, what was that?" He asked, a blush lighting up his cheeks. He hated embarrassing himself in front of Arthur, but some things could not be helped.

  
    "You are the worst servant I've ever had," Arthur grumbled, "I must get a replacement soon." He scowled to the younger boy, unbeknownst to him that he didn't even need to complete his statement to sink Merlin's heart. "I told you to tie down the horses and stay here. We don't want you to get in our way." He growled. The sorcerer nodded, demounting the gentle animal beneath him.

  
    With the horses tied to a secure tree, Merlin climbed into it. The view of the lake was magnificent. A sea of autumn oaks filled with orange leaves of varying shades spread as far as the eye could see, seeming to be a bowl for the shining glimpse of the lake. It was vast, the largest Merlin had seen. The waters resembled the color of the sky just after daybreak. A flick of green appeared in the water for a moment, disappearing soon after as if it was never there. Merlin rubbed his eyes. He had to be imagining things again.

  
    Arthur scanned the lake's surface just in time to catch a green tail sweep back into the water. "There!" He pointed, the knights drawing their swords. "Where did it go, sire?" A knight asked. "Somewhere in the water... Keep your guard up."

  
    The black-haired boy had almost fallen asleep when a loud yell erupted from the bank. He slipped out of the tree, his legs bounding him down the path and onward to the lake. "Arthur!" He called, worry evident. Merlin looked out over the lake when he had saw it; A woman in the water. Long, curly, ginger hair trailed over her face mostly, but her green eyes and charming smile were clear. She had no clothes, he noticed, as her arms were covering her breasts.

  
    Arthur stood in the water, smiling like a fool at her. He was entranced with her, it seemed. Merlin had previously failed to notice the dead bodies of the knights floating in the water. "Huuuusshh, now, prince, do not freeeettttt," The ginger sang, "It is by fate that we haaaave meeeeeeeeeeet~" The prince gently cupped her face. His eyes looked absent, as if looking for a beauty that was long gone. "Do not leave here, stay wiiiithhh meeeee," She continued, "Come now, future prince of seaaaaaa~" Looking down, a silver flash caught the sorcerer's eyes. A sword lay in the shallow end of the water. He slowly walked over to retrieve it.

  
    More of the sirens appeared. A woman with hair, red like fire, snatched the sword up. "Looking for this?" She cackled, a tail resembling fire splashing behind her. He looked back to Arthur and the siren who had entranced him. "Leave this land and Camelottttt," She leaned in closer to the prince, "Forget all battles that you've fouuughhhhhtttt~" Merlin growled, running through a mental list of incantations. His eyes widened as he realized the perfect one.

  
    "Tranesa brokotta vapora princepessa, merpersonna diabolitca tempress..." He chanted, his eyes beginning to gleam with golden light. The siren noticed this, urging her to sing quicker. "Will you tell me your desiiiiggnn," She sang nervously, "Will you become one and miiiiinneee?~" The sorcerer repeated the incantation, his voice filling with rage that burned like the dragon's fires.

  
    "Come now, dear prince, please do not feaaaarrr," Merlin growled the incantation louder as she sang, "For your home is safe and neaaarrr~" The other sirens had disappeared, retreating into the water with fright. It was a battle of words between Merlin and the siren.

  
    "My name is Bella, prince of braaaaaaaveee," She choked out, "and I will bring you to your graaaa-" She was cut off from her song with a sour note as Arthur snapped out of the trance.  A sword pierced her stomach, blood pouring from her mouth and mixing with the water. A terrible shade of magenta tainted the water as the siren began to float, her long, green tail surfacing.

  
    "Merlin." Arthur turned his attention to his servant, who stood upon the bank breathing heavily. "My Lord." Merlin greeted. "What happened?" The prince wadded through the water as he spoke. "I-I'm not fully sure, sire. You were in a trance by her, and then you weren't an-" The sorcerer was interrupted by, "Alright, alright, never mind."

  
    The voyage back to the citadel was a quiet one, for the most part. Normally, Arthur would be barking commands to his knights or making fun of Merlin and listening to their laughter. It was simply the prince and his manservant this time, and, like many times this had been the case before, he resorted to making fun of Merlin to Merlin.

  
    Laughter was temporary, as always. It soon grew quiet again, save for the trotting of the horses. Arthur studied the black haired boy with wonder from the corner of his eye. He had heard it. Merlin had been chanting something before he regained control over himself. He had realized during the event that his servant had known magic. He had to hide this from Uther, to pretend he had no idea if the subject arose. He was going to protect the boy all that he could.

  
    Arthur admired Merlin in a way no man should. That was what he had been taught, at least. For a man to love another was a vile deed, punishable by death. He'd have to deal with that when he became king. But his plan before the arrival of Merlin was a simple one. Live, become king, get married to a beautiful woman of nobility, have a son, and die serving Camelot. It seems somewhere along the way he realized that maybe he needed to change things up a bit. When he met Merlin, a thrill of defiance filled his veins. This boy rebelled and insulted him, even going as far as challenging him. The bravery of Merlin was beautiful in his eyes, but he, back then, saw him as still just another defiant peasant. As he matured and time went on, Arthur came to realize that he was a bit too fond of his servant. He remembered when he loved Gwen in that way. But alas, she had loved another.

  
    And he felt himself slowly falling for Merlin and giving up his pride as he grew older. He submitted to humility because of Gwen, who had opened his eyes in ways that he never could've imagined. But Merlin had taught him so much in such short time. He couldn't name it all, all the lessons he had learned. But undying loyalty was one of them.

  
    And even if he could marry a man, it would be impossible for it to be Merlin. He wasn't of noble blood. He was a servant. Well, for now, he was a servant. When Arthur became king, he decided, he would make the sorcerer his royal adviser. Until then, he'd be a servant. And Arthur could appreciate him from afar, his emotions too tangled to know how to express them to Merlin in any sort of way. He wished so badly he could make him feel loved. But Arthur Pendragon had never been one with words nor expressions.

  
    The clack of hooves on stone echoed through the night air. They had arrived back after a day's journey to a village of silence. Curfew had passed and everyone was sleeping soundly, waiting for the next bustling day. A cold breeze suddenly hit the duo in the face. Merlin shivered, trying to drape his robes over him better. "Getting cold, are we?" Arthur grinned. "Shut up." The other boy laughed.

  
    After Arthur had told his father of the events (while making up some terrible excuse for how he escaped the trance), he made his way to Merlin's chambers. Gaius bowed in greeting. "Hello, sire. Are you in need of some assistance?" The older man asked. The room was littered with the usual books and potions and clutter; Nothing new to Arthur. "No, I'm here to see Merlin." He replied, his eyes flicking to the back room. Behind that door, his servant was probably resting peacefully; And he was about to ruin that peace.

  
    "Merlin," Gaius called, "Arthur is here!" The door creaked open after a while. Merlin walked out yawning. "Yes, sire?" He yawned. "Come with me." The prince didn't want to do the whole "gooey confession of thanks" in front of the physician. The boy nodded, following Arthur to his chambers.

  
    "Merlin. I know what you did." Arthur had sat down on his lavishly decorated bed. "What do you mean, my lord?" He could tell the other boy was nervous. Fear was in his features, and that made Arthur's heart break a little on the inside. "I know you did magic." He answered. There was a long silence. "Have you told the king yet?" Merlin had dropped his head and looked away from the prince. "No. I don't intend to." His eyes widened as he looked up. "What?"

  
    "You heard me." Arthur smiled. "You've saved my life more times than I can count, Merlin. And something tells me even more than that. Like with the unusual gust of wind while we were fighting the clay monster underground not too long ago." A chuckle arose from the sorcerer's throat. "Oh, yeah, that."

  
    "I think I've been stealing your achievements, haven't I? Taking your glory? I'm sorry, Merlin." The servant had took a step closer. "No, no, sire, it's perfectly alright." He stammered, his cheeks flushing. "No, it's not. Do me a favor. Be careful with your magic, Merlin. I don't want father finding out." Arthur stood up, finishing his "gooey confession of thanks."

  
    His hands were on Merlin's shoulders in a manner of pride. "Th-thank you, sire. I will." He nodded. The prince grinned, ruffling the other boy's hair. "Now then, my armor needs shining, my sword needs polishing, my tunic needs washed, the stables need mucked, you need to clean the floors..." He trailed off into a list of chores for his servant, who couldn't hear over the sound of utter acceptance.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for the read! ; v ;  
> I touched up all the typos and everything on this.


End file.
